Saturday, October 16, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I actually got the Thinline Tele put together. I used the original bridge, with the string stops cut off and notches cut into it to clear the new Tune-O-Matic style bridge, to mount the bladed humbucker in the lead position.

I accidentally cut the notches a bit too wide, and you can see the pocket for the pickup at one corner of the plate. I picked up a cheap Tele copy for parts, at the pawn shop, the other day. So, I have another bridge to use, in order to make it look a little better. I think I will eventually take this one off, use it as a template (with the correction to fix the problem), then take it somewhere to have it cut with a plasma cutter. Using the tools I have, it's difficult to make it pretty.

For now, though, I am just going to leave it. It works, and the imperfection of the pickup mount is of small concern. I am more interested in how it plays and how it sounds than I am with how the tiny details look.

And, it plays and sounds the way I've always wanted a Telecaster to be. This is the first one I've had on which I like the sounds of both pickups, and I love the feel and playability of it. It's definitely a keeper.

I'm eventually going to sand off the decals, and re-varnish the headstock. I don't want any confusion about this being a Fender, or a Squire, or an anything. I've mixed and matched and modified the guitar and its parts to the point that I claim it as my own. For now, the crow sticker from the weird thrift-store acoustic covers most of the stock decal.